The 2026 Asian Games (2026年アジア競技大会), also known as 20th Asian Games (第20回アジア競技大会) and Aichi–Nagoya 2026 (愛知/名古屋2026), will be a multi-sport event celebrated around Aichi Prefecture in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. The prefecture capital Nagoya will be the epicenter of the events.[3] Nagoya will be the third Japanese city to host the Asian Games, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The event is set to return to its traditional four-year cycle, after the 2022 edition was postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) welcomed the joint proposal from Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya to host the Games at their annual general assembly session in Da Nang, Vietnam, on 25 September 2016.[4][5] The joint bid proposal almost did not happen due to financial differences between the two interested parties; these were resolved in 2015 and 2016, allowing the joint bid to be accepted.[6] The OCA originally planned to choose the 2026 host city in 2018, but brought the planning date forward due to the intensity of the region's sporting calendar, including the next two Winter Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups between 2018 and 2022 (held in Pyeongchang and Beijing, as well in Russia and Qatar) and the next Summer Olympic Games (held in Tokyo in 2020).[7]
The city of Nagoya received an estimate of roughly ¥85 billion ($560 million) in costs from the Aichi Prefecture government for the Games, 30% of which is expected to be covered by sponsorships and other revenue, while the remainder is planned to be split on a 70–30 basis between Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture.[6][9] In February 2023, the cost was reported to have ballooned to ¥140.5 billion ($927 million).[10]
The Aichi–Nagoya Organising Committee decided not to construct a permanent athletes village due to high costs, and instead chose to have a cruise ship docked at Kinjo Pier acting as the main athletes village.[11][12] Other athletes will be hosted in temporary villas made from repurposed shipping containers near the Port of Nagoya, and some will be based in several hotels across the prefecture and outlying cities.[13] Regarding the cruise ship, organisers have put in place several contingency plans if athletes were to be evacuated from the venue due to tsunamis, typhoons or other natural disasters.[14][15]
The Aichi–Nagoya Organising Committee is in the process of formulating a comprehensive transport plan that will include specific routes, coordination with transport service providers, and operational preparations for arrival/departure, opening/closing ceremonies, and daily movements to competition venues. They aim to leverage existing infrastructure and technology to provide efficient and comfortable transportation during the Games.
In principle, spectators are expected to rely on public transport. Aichi and Nagoya have an extensive public transportation network, including:
Buses: Numerous private and public bus companies operate throughout the region, complementing the rail services.
Shuttle Buses: If necessary, shuttle buses between competition venues and the nearest public transport stations will be considered to aid spectator movement.
Travel Demand Management: Measures to curb private cars use around Games-related facilities, such as public announcements, will be implemented to ensure smooth transportation and maintain urban order.
Nagoya Civic General GymnasiumOkazaki Chuo Sogo ParkToyota Stadium
In addition to Nagoya, events will be spread across cities across Aichi Prefecture, and some venues in the Greater Tokyo Area that also hosted events during the 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as Gifu, Osaka and Shizuoka prefectures.[4] Cycling events are scheduled to be held at the Izu Velodrome in Izu, Shizuoka. Some aquatic events were originally scheduled to be held at the Rainbow Pool, but with less than three years to go, OCA pointed out that the facilities did not meet World Aquatics' regulations.[16] After discussions, it was decided to move the swimming events to the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, and the equestrian events to the Tokyo Equestrian Park; water polo was also moved to the Nippon Gaishi Hall's Rainbow Pool.[17][18]
A final decision on the inclusion of cricket was scheduled for 2025, with the Asian Cricket Council having pushed for the bid and OCA President Randhir Singh was "hopeful" for it. Its inclusion would act as the Asian qualifiers event for the 2028 Summer Olympics.[30][31][32][33] On 28 April, the organizing committee approved the inclusion of cricket and mixed martial arts to the programme, following a request from OCA. In addition, open water swimming was removed from the programme.[22]
The emblem of the Games was unveiled during a ceremony on 1 April 2020. Each colour has its own meaning, with purple representing the iris laevigata, gold for Shachihoko, the golden tiger-fish roof ornaments which are the symbol of Nagoya Castle, and green representing environmental consciousness.[34]
In January 2025, the Aichi–Nagoya Organising Committee (AINAGOC) mentioned the "Host Broadcaster's Work" in a Q&A session. This indicates that a host broadcaster will be appointed to manage the primary coverage of the Games. The Nagoya International Exhibition Hall will serve as the Main Media Centre (MMC), which will include the Main Press Centre (MPC) and the International Broadcast Centre (IBC).[37] However, the contract was terminated in July 2025 due to deficiencies.[38]
Japan
